Two points to note:
1. We really should be comparing ourselves with UK, Canada,
Australia and US. Against them, we are at 33.8% vs 35.3%, 33.2%,
29.5% and 27.7% respectively. Can see why Australia with a lower tax take of 4.3% below NZ why ever more NZers are migrating there.
2. Countries with the higher %tage tax take to GDP (like Norway on 44.3%) typically offer extremely generous welfare benefits which their citizens accept as quid pro quo for their higher taxes.
NZ really needs a CGT to broaden the tax base while bringing the overall tax take on incomes & wages down.
https://www.oecd.org/tax/revenue-sta...ew-zealand.pdf